Trust Me
by RowlettLesbian
Summary: All hope seems lost for Team Seven, but they should really know better than to doubt Konoha's #1 Most Unpredictable Ninja! Naruto and Sasuke alone may not always win. But together, they are more than the sum of their parts. They are made of love.


"There is no chance of success. We are all going to die." Sai's comment was unwelcome on many levels, but no one could seem to find the courage to contradict him and lie.

Team Seven stood upon the cliff overlooking the worst enemy they'd ever faced. Kakashi-sensei was on his knees, shaking slightly. Sakura was clutching her face and openly sobbing. Sai was looking even less emotional than usual. And Sasuke…

Sasuke was staring at the sword in his fists and trembling all over where he stood directly next to Naruto.

He hadn't left Naruto's side for days. Once they'd reconciled, it was like everything snapped into place. They didn't always agree, but they understood each other. They didn't know all of each other's techniques, yet they fought in symphony against their enemies.

Until now. Because for some reason, Naruto was the only person here that hadn't given up.

"Ne, Sasuke, can you believe our dummy teammate? He thinks we can't beat this thing into the ground!" Naruto grinned at Sasuke, but not his big grin, his little one that left his eyes open. It made him really happy to have his precious people here, and he wanted to comfort them. After all, they'd be safe soon.

"Dobe…" Sasuke didn't look up, but Kakashi and Sakura did. Sai had already been staring at him. "Stop it. Just…stop. We all know there's nothing left we can do. So stop messing around."

Naruto's grin vanished. From the corner of his eye he saw Kakashi jerk and Sakura's mouth gape open at him.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke looked up at him and he, too, startled visibly. Naruto looked his most precious person straight in the eye. There will little cuts on his cheeks and his nose had a bit of blood crusted beneath it. His hair was even stupider-looking than usual.

"I keep my promises, teme. So, trust me?" Sasuke remained still for a moment longer and then wilted slightly. His eyes were dark and sad, but he nodded anyways. Naruto could work with that. "Alright!" Naruto clapped his hands and pulled out a marker. He popped the cap off between his teeth and went for Sasuke with the felt-tip. Before Sasuke could protest, he grabbed his arm and started scrawling seals all up and down the pale skin.

"Naruto, wha-" Naruto released Sasuke's finished arm and rolled up the sleeve of his own. He wrote out roughly the same set of runes as quickly as he could manage without making any mistakes. Then, he shoved the cap back on the marker and shoved it into his bag, before unfastening it and dropping it to the ground. "Dobe, what the hell are you doing?"

"Get rid of everythin' you can, Sasuke. The less weight the better!" Naruto kept stripping off nonessentials, stopping at his shoes, shirt, and pants. His last article removed was his hitai-ate. Sasuke glowered at him but did the same, albeit with a lot more yanking and grumbling. Served him right for wearing a weird butt-skirt with a giant rope.

"Naruto, what is this?" called Kakashi-sensei. He was still kneeling, but he seemed a bit more upright than before. One of his arms had an extra joint, but he seemed to have it bandaged well enough for the moment so Naruto tried not to worry.

"You'll see in a sec' sensei. We're ready anyways." Naruto directed this last statement at Sasuke, who looked much less scared and much more confused, especially as Naruto walked away until he was standing roughly ten paces away from Sasuke. Once he and Sasuke were staring at each other from opposite sides of some invisible bond, Naruto held out his seal-stamped hand, palm up, and smiled at Sasuke while trying to think of everything he loved about him. Sasuke's eyes widened and he flushed lightly.

"Sasuke," Naruto called across the divide between them, "dance with me?"

For a moment nothing moved. Then, Sakura, Kakashi, and Sai all leaned forward with sighs and hands thrown in the air. Their lack of faith would be hilarious in a minute when this totally worked. Sasuke, for a moment, looked like he too wanted to be confused and exasperated. Then something opened up behind his eyes and he nodded, holding out the mirror to Naruto's hand, painted with the very same seals that adorned him.

Naruto beamed.

Helplessly pulled across the untouchable string tying them together, Naruto threw one foot forward and used it to spin himself on the other, making careful, balanced spins across the gap to Sasuke. In response, he glimpsed Sasuke ducking and holding out his arms like he was flying, making grand sweeps with imaginary fans.

They met in the middle, and Naruto grasped Sasuke's already extended hand. They were perfectly matched. It was like fighting, but so sweet Naruto felt like he could glow with how close he felt to Sasuke in that moment. Those dark eyes and strong limbs were infused with grace and acceptance where they rose to match Naruto, and they spun around each other easily with merely a glance.

As they reached the crest of their dance, Naruto found himself facing Sasuke, his Sasuke, who was smiling slightly at Naruto with wide eyes and joy shining through the cuts and bruises littering his skin. Naruto looked up into those eyes and let himself fall back into Sasuke's waiting arms, dipping down low, and then curling back up into Sasuke as they finally came back together. The bond between them glowed.

Menma laughed as he spun to a stop. He was so happy it was hard to grasp. He loved himself so much, it was hard to stop spinning, hard to take his arms away from himself.

Menma looked down and gasped. His arms were covered in tiny little seals, which he knew from Naruto were written to ambiguously combine the power of two Shinobi who trusted each other, felt truly close to each other, so close that their chakras could merge together into something more than the sum of the parts. Something new. Menma had only existed for a few moments, but he looked at those seals and understood exactly what it meant that Naruto and Sasuke were each part of him and beamed. Neither of them could ever deny again that they loved the other. Not now that Menma was here.

Menma plucked at his shirt with a pout. It was an ooky mix of orange and high-collared sophistication. Menma jerked a little as his opinions on fashion clashed in his head. That did not feel good-ttebayo! Oh Kami he thought the word 'Dattebayo'. He stuck out his tongue and looked down to see Kakashi, Sakura, and Sai staring up at him. Kakashi just about came up to his kneecaps. Also, his eye was bugging out and it was hilarious.

"NARUTO WHAT THE FUCK!" yelled Sakura. Menma pouted. His genius deserved praise, not scoldings…

"Aww, Sakura…I think I look amazing! Naruto and Sasuke fit surprisingly well together," said Menma before frowning, "hey, what do you mean 'surprising'? Any moron could tell that I love me!"

Sai was, in a rare show of expression, grinning up at him. It was kind of creepy to see him openly pleased about something. Menma edged away from Sai as surreptitiously as possible. Sneaking was hard when you were so tall, it was a wonder Kakashi managed so well.

"Maa, Naruto…and Sasuke?…Are you, uh, alright?" asked Kakashi. Menma smirked and knelt down before his sensei so that they were at a similar height.

"I'm fine, sensei. Naruto and Sasuke love each other a lot, so I won't be falling apart before I Chidori-Rasengan that waste of oxygen into slimy little pieces." Menma smiled Sasuke's craziest grin and let his eyes scrunch shut. All three of them.

"Oh Kami," squeaked Sakura.

"Alright!" Menma yelled. Then he heaved himself upright and looked out upon his opponent with two red eyes and gold. "Let's do this, Menma. I'm the best parts of the two best Shinobi in the world. If I can't do this, then no one can!"

With that, Menma sent chakra down each palm and ran forward to protect his precious people, firm in the knowledge that his most precious bond was the closest it could possibly be.


End file.
